Prewrapped gift carton



Aug. 5, 1969 L. ADAMS, JR

PREWRAPPED GIFT CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 51, 1968 INVEN'I'OR. LEON/4RD AD/1M5,d/?.

ATTORNEYS W Llix- Aug. 5, 1969 ADAMS, JR

PREWRAPPED GIFT CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 31, 1968 lwixn ATTORNEYS 1.. ADAMS. JR

ranwnnrsn am canon Aug. 5; 1969 v Filed Jan. 31, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. I LEONARD ADAMS, dR

ATTORNE Y5 I 3,459,358 PREWRAPPED GIFT CARTON Leonard Adams, .l'r., Louisville, Ky., assignor to The Finn Industries, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 31, 1968, Ser. No. 701,942 Int. Cl. B6511 /02, 65/00 US. Cl. 229-37 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A carton blank which is cut and scored so as to provide side walls, at least one glue flap, and end flaps at the top and bottom of the side walls, and by applying a decorative pre-wrap in the form of a flat sheet of materlal to the carton blank in a fashion such that the latter can be pre-formed and shipped and/ or stored flat or knocked down. The appearance of the carton and the ability to machine form, fill and close the carton of the present invention is improved by providing a notch in the top edge of the glue flap, which notch is aligned with and forms an extension of the edge of the end flap along which the tree portion of the continuous Web between the end flaps 1S folded.

This invention relates, in general, to gift cartons and, in particular, to gift cartons of the pre-wrapped type.

Pre-w-rapped gift cartons are generally well-known and have been used for quite some time, particularly for packaging products such as liquors, perfumes and the like so that these products can be given as gifts without the necessity of the purchaser having to gift wrap the same himself before doing so. Cartons of this type usually are formed by affixing, in some appropriate manner, decorative overwrap to a carton blank in a fashion such that the carton can be pre-formed and shipped or stored flat or knocked-down. Subsequently, the carton is erected by the user, filled, sealed and delivered to the purchaser.

In most cases, the user is a manufacturer or, in the case of products such as liquors, perfumes and the like, a bottler who fills the bottles or other containers and then packages the same for ultimate sale to the consumer. In the latter case, in particular, the bottlers desire a fully pre-wrapped gift wrapped carton which can be machine formed, filled and sealed, all automatically. Most presently available pre-wrapped gift wrapped cartons are of this desired type, however, the finished cartons are not entirely satisfactory, from an appearance standpoint. In many cases, it is found that the construction of the cartons is such that a' raw edge of the pre-wrap is exposed at the corner and/ or in the glue flap when it is machine formed and sealed. Also, the pre-wrap is scored and folded in a rather sloppy fashion at the top and/ or bottom of the carton so that the carton appears to have been gift wrapped hurriedly and haphazardly.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved gift cartons, particularly of the prewrapped type.

Another object is to provide improved pre-wrapped gift cartons which can be shipped and/or stored knocked down, and which can be easily and quickly formed, filled and sealed by the user.

Still another object is to provide improved pre-wrapped cartons of the above type which can be easily and quickly machine formed, filled and sealed.

A still further object is to provide improved pre-wrapped cartons of the above type having a construction such that all of the raw edges of the pre-Wrap are concealable, particularly at the corners of the carton and in the glue zflap thereof. In this respect, it is further contemplated nited States Patent 0 lice that the carton will appear to have been carefully gift wrapped, by hand.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The above objectives are accomplished by providing a carton blank which is cut and scored so as to provide side walls, at least one glue .flap, and end flaps at the top and bottom of the side walls, and by applying a decorative pre-wrap in the form of a flat sheet of material to the carton blank in a fashion such that the latter can be preformed and shipped and/ or stored flat or knocked down. In this respect, the carton generally resembles presently available cartons. The appearance of the carton and the ability to machine form, fill and close the carton of the present invention is improved, however, by providing a notch in the top edge of the glue flap, which notch is aligned with and forms an extension of the edge of the end flap along which the free portion of the continuous web between the end flaps is folded. This notch permits the free portion of the continuous web to be folded over the entire length of this edge and the extension thereof formed by the notch. The free portion then is preferably affixed to the end flap. This arrangement permits the raw edge of the pre-wrap to be completely concealed and, in addition, permits a tighter fold or crease to be made along this edge of the end flap so that the top of the carton resembles more closely a carton which has been carefully gift-wrapped, by hand. A relief notch also preferably is provided in the end flap at the opposite edge of the continuous web, so that the free portion thereof at this edge can be folded without creating a bulge at the top of the carton. Other improvements also are provided, as will be apparent from the description below.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carton exemplary of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the carton blank from which the carton of FIG. 1 is formed;

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view, generally illustrating the preferred manner of applying adhesive to the carton blank;

FIG. 4 is a partial plan view, generally illustrating the gilanger in which the pre-wrap is afiixed to the carton FIG. 5 is a partial plan view, generally illustrating the manner in which the free portion of the continuous web is folded over the edge of an end flap;

FIG. 6 is a partial plan view, generally illustrating the manner in which the glue flap is folded over and afiixed to the side wall of the carton;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are plan views, generally illustrating the manner in which the carton blank is folded to pre-form the carton;

FIG. 19 is a partial plan view of the rectangular-shaped 3 carton of FIGS. 15-18, showing a portion of the blank with the pre-wrap applied thereto.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, in FIG. 1 there is illustrated a pro-wrapped gift wrapped carton which is elongated in length and is square-shaped in cross-section. The top of the carton 10 is closed by means of end flaps 26-29 (FIG. 2) which are folded and overlapped so that the triangular-shaped end flaps 26 and 28 overlie the end flaps 27 and 29 and the apexes thereof meet at the center of the top of the carton. A decorative seal, ribbon, bow or the like generally is afiixed atop the carton, to seal the end flaps 26-29 closed. The bottom of the carton 10 likewise can be closed, by means of end flaps such as the end flaps 32-35 which are identical to the end flaps 26-29, respectively, and sealed with a decorative seal. Differently shaped end flaps such as the interlocking and self-forming bottom flaps generally wellknown in the art can be used to close the bottom of the carton 10, if desired. Also, the carton 10 can be rectangular-shape in cross-section, as illustrated in FIGS. -18, if desired. It can be seen that the carton 10 appears to have been gift wrapped very carefully, by hand. Furthermore, all of the raw edges of the pre-wrap 40 are concealed, as explained more fully below.

More specifically, the carton 10 is formed from a carton blank 36 (FIG. 2) which is cut from flat sheet material such as paperboard. The carton blank 36 has five parallel, vertically disposed score lines 11-15 formed on it, dividing the same into four side walls 16-19 and two glue flaps 20 and 21, and two parallel horizontally disposed score lines and 31 which define the upper and lower edges of the side walls 16-19, respectively. The side walls 16-19 are of equal size and are integrally affixed to one another, with the glue flaps 20 and 21 affixed to the side walls 16 and 19, respectively. The top end flaps 26- 29 are integrally affixed to and separated from respective ones of the side walls 16-19, by the horizontal score line 25. Likewise, the bottom end flaps 32-35 are integrally affixed to and separated from respective ones of the side walls 16-19, by the horizontal score line 31 The end flaps 26, 28, 32 and 34 each is triangular-shaped having a base which corresponds to the width of the side wall to which it is atfixed. The height of these end flaps corresponds to one-half the cross-sectional width, or length, since the carton 10 is square-shaped in cross-section, of the carton so that the apexes of the end flaps 26 and 28, and 32 and 34, meet at the center of the top, and bottom, of the carton when they are folded in the manner described below. The end flaps 27 and 33 each is generally rectangular-shaped having a width corresponding to the width of the side wall to which it is affixed and a length which, like the end flaps 26, 28, 32 and 34, corresponds to one-half the cross-section width, or length, of the carton. The end flaps 29 and 35 each is generally rectangular-shaped and has a width corresponding to the width of the side wall to which it is afiixed. The length of the end flaps 29 and 35, however, is substantially equal to but less than the cross-sectional width, or length, of the carton. The end flaps 27 and 33 each have a register notch 23 and 24 formed in their respective end edges, for checking and determining that the pre-wrap is properly aligned and afiixed to the carton blank, in the generally well-known manner.

The pre-wrap 40 which can be a plain or decorative paper, a paper having an embossed decorative design on it, foil or the like, is adhesively affixed to the carton blank 36, on the side thereof opposite that shown in FIG. 2. The pre-wrap 40 is in the form of a rectangular-shaped, fiat sheet of material of dimensions such that it extends across and completely covers the surface of the side walls 16-19. The pre-wrap also extends beyond the upper and lower edges of the side walls so that it completely covers the end flaps 26, 28, 32 and 34 and substantially, if not all, of the end flaps 27 and 33. Preferably, it extends just slightly beyond the apexes of the end flaps 26, 28, 32 and 34 so that the tips thereof do not show when they are folded. Only approximately one-half of the end flaps 29 and 35 are covered. The pre-wrap extends beyond the side edges of the side walls 16 and 19 a sufficient distance to overlap and cover approximately one-quarter of the width of each of the glue flaps 20 and 21. The pre-wrap furthermore forms continuous web 41 between each of the end flaps 26-29, and between each of the end flaps 32-35.

Preferably, the pre-wrap 40 is adhesively afiixed to the carton blank 36 only about its perimeter so that it has an appearance of a loose wrapping about the carton, and not one which is laminated to the carton blank. The adhesive should extend substantially around the entire perimeter of the carton blank, as indicated in FIG. 3 by the dotted areas, but must terminate short of any score line, by preferably approximately /8 inch. If the adhesive overlaps a score line and adhesion of the pre-wrap occurs on the score line, the pre-wrap may be caused to split or rupture at the score line, when the carton is erected. If suction cup machine handling is to be used during the forming of the carton 10, it may be desirable to spotglue the pre-wrap in the middle of the side walls, to prevent the pre-wrap from being pulled loose from the carton blank or damaged.

It may be noted that glue flap 20 has a notch 42 formed in its upper edge which is aligned with and forms an extension of the edge 43 of the end flap 26. It has been found that, by the simple expedient of forming thi notch 42 in the glue flap 20, the previous problems of having raw edges of the pre-wrap exposed in the corners of the carton and at the glue seam, and sloppy creases or folds at the top of the carton, is substantially, if not completely, eliminated. if the carton has bottom end flaps like the end flaps 32-35, a similar notch 44 is formed in the lower edge of the glue flap 20, aligned with and as an extension of the edge 45 of the end flap 32. Broadly, it can be stated that this notch, or notches, will always be positioned in the end of the glue flap irrespective of whether a single or double glue flap is used with the carton, and further that it will always occur or be formed in the glue flap at the free portion of the pre-wrap forming the continuous web between the end flaps of the carton. In each case also, the notch will be aligned with and form an extension of the edge of the end flap at the free portion of the continuous web of the pre-wrap. The notch also can be any number of different shapes, such as square, circular or generally V-shaped, as illustrated, so long as it permits the extension of the pre-wrap to fold over for a length corresponding to the distance which the pre-wrap overlaps onto the glue flap.

This may be better understood by reference to the drawings, particularly FIGS. 4-14 thereof, and the following description. In FIG. 4, the pre-wrap 40 is shown afiixed to the carton blank 36 so that it overlaps and covers the latter in the manner described above. The notch 42 is formed in the glue flap 20, at the free portion 46 of the continuous web 41 of the pre-wrap 40, and is aligned with and forms an extension of the edge 43 of the end flap 26. The notch 42 further extends outwardly of the edge 48 of the pre-wrap 40, and some distance below the horizontal score line 25. The notch 42 therefore permits the free portion 46 to be folded over along the entire length of the edge 43 of the end flap 26 and the extension thereof formed by the notch 42, as illustrated in FIG. 5. After being folded, this free portion 46 preferably is adhesively affixed to the end flap 26. When folded over in this fashion, the edge 49 of the free portion 46 extends parallel to and is spaced a short distance below the horizontal score line 25. More particularly, it is spaced a short distance below the line along which the end flap 26 is folded, while closing the top of the carton. After the free portion 46 of the continuous web 41 has been folded over and adhesively aflixed to the end flap 26 in the above described manner, the glue flap 20 is folded over, along the score line 11, and adhesively afiixed atop the side wall 16, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The extension of the pre-wrap 40, that is, that portion of it which extends outwardly of the score line 11 onto the glue flap '20, at this time, is folded over upon itself. A sharp crease generally resembling a crease which would be made when hand wrapping a package is provided along the edge 43 and at the corner of the end flap 26. Also, the raw edge of the pre-wrap 40, at this corner of the carton, is folded in and completely concealed.

When the carton has a bottom which is formed in the same fashion as its top, as in the case of the illustrated carton 10, the free portion of the continuous web between the bottom end flaps is folded over and adhesively filed in a like manner. For example, in the case of the carton 10, the free portion 50 of the continuous web is folded over along the entire length of the edge 45 of the end flap 32 and the extension thereof formed by the notch 44, as can be best seen in FIG. 7. A sharp crease therefore also is provided along the edge 45 and at the corner of the end flap 32, and the raw edge of the prewrap, at this corner of the carton, is folded in and completely concealed.

The next step in pre-forming the carton is to fold the side wall 19 and the glue fiap 21, along the score line 14, so that the side wall 19 lies atop the side wall 18 and the glue flap 21 lies partially atop the side wall 17, as illustrated in FIG. 7. Adhesive, represented by the dotted area 52, then is applied along the length of the glue flap 21, as illustrated. After the adhesive is applied to the glue flap 21, the side wall 16 is folded, along the score line 12, so that it lies atop the side wall 17. In this position, the glue flap 20 overlaps and is fixedly secured to the glue flap 21, as can be best seen in FIGS. 8-10.

The carton 10 now is fully pre-formed and can be shipped and/ or stored in this flat, knocked down configuration, and thereafter easily and quickly erected for use. Erection is accomplished by merely applying opposing forces or pressures to the two corners or edges 54 and 55 of the carton, in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 10, to forcibly urge the side walls 16-19 to unfold until the carton has a substantially square-shaped cross-section. The top of the carton 10 is closed by first folding the end flaps 29, along the score line 25, over the open end of the carton, as illustrated in FIG. 12.. In doing so, the continuous web 41 between the end flaps 28 and 2.9 is caused to fold, along with the end flap 29, inwardly of the end flaps, along the edge 56 of the end flap 28. The raw edge 58 of the small free portion of the pre-wrap 40 likewise is caused to fold inwardly the end flaps, and this raw edge is completely concealed by the end flap 26 when the latter is folded in overlapping position, as explained more fully below. In some cases, this small free portion 58 on being folded creases atop itself and forms a bump that causes a bulge to appear at the corner of the carton. This problem can be eliminated by providing a notch 53 in the edge of the end flap 29, substantially along the score line 25, as illustrated. This notch provides sufficient relief for the small free portion 58, so that the bulge is eliminated. A similar notch 57 is formed in the end flap 35, for the same purpose.

The end flap 27 next is folded, along the score line 25, so that it lies atop the end flap 29, as illustrated in FIG. 13. It can be seen that the continuous web 41, between the end flaps 26 and 27 and between the end flaps 27 and 28, is thereby caused to fold inwardly of the end flaps 26 and 28 and to be creased or folded along the edges 59 and 60 of these end flaps.

The closing operation is completed by next folding the end flaps 26 and 28, along the score line 25, so that they overlap the end flaps 27 and 29, as illustrated in FIG. 14. The apexes of these triangular-shaped end flaps 26 and 28 meet with one another at the center of the top of the carton, and the end result is that the top of the carton resembles four isosceles triangles having their apexes all substantially meeting at the center of the carton. The top of the carton can be sealed by, for example, adhesively or otherwise affixing a decorative seal, ribbon, how or the like (not shown) over the apexes of the end flaps 26 and 28.

Referring now to FIGS. 15-18, there is illustrated a carton 65, only the top end portion is shown, which is formed from a carton blank which is cut, scored, folded and adhesively affixed together in generally the same fashion as the carton blank 36. A decorative pre-wrap 66 also is adhesively affixed to the carton blank, in generally the same fashion as the pre-wrap 40 is affixed to the carton blank 36. The principal distinction between the carton 10 and the carton 65 is that the latter is rectangular-shaped in cross-section and its end flaps 68-71 are correspondingly formed to close its rectangular-shaped open end.

In FIG. 19, it can be seen that the glue flap 72 has a notch 73 formed in it which is aligned with and forms an extension of the edge 74 of the end flap 68, as in the case of the notches 42 and 44 described above. In FIG. 15, the free portion 75 of the continuous web portion of the pre-wrap 66 has been folded over along the entire length of the edge 74 of the end flap 68 and the extension thereof formed by the notch 73, and has been adhesively affixed to the end flap 68. The glue flap 72 also has been folded over, along the score line 76, and adhesively affixed atop the side wall 77 of the carton, in the same manner as described above in the case of the carton 10.

In closing the top of the carton 65, the end flaps 69 and 71 are first folded, along the score lnie 78, over the open end of the carton, as illustrated in FIG. 16. In doing so, the continuous web portion of the pre-wrap 66 is caused to fold inwardly, and is creased along the angled edges 80 and 81 of the end flaps 68 and 70, respectively, at the one side of the carton. At the other side, the continuous web likewise is caused to fold inwardly, and is creased along the angled edge 82 of the end flap 70. At this side, the free portion 75 of the pre-wrap 66 is, of course, already folded along the edge 74 of the end flap 68. The small free portion 84 of the continuous web extending outwardly of the edge of the end flap 71, however, is folded in with the end flap 71 as the latter is folded so that the raw edge of the pre-wrap is, or will be, completely concealed. A notch like the notches 53 and 57 advantageously is formed in the end flap 68, to prevent a bulge from occuring at the corner of the carton, in the manner described above.

Next, the end flap 68 is folded over, along the score line 78, atop the end flaps 69 and 71, as illustrated in FIG. 17. Closing of the top is completed, by folding the end flap 70, along the score line 78, atop the end flaps 68, 69 and 71, as. illustrated in FIG. 18. When this last end flap 70 is folded, it can be seen that the top of the carton 65 is completely closed, and that the edges of the end flaps 68 and 70 intersect or join to form, in combination with the edges 80 and 81 of the carton, two triangular-shaped folded portions 84 and 85. The truncated end edges of these end flaps also meet in the center of the top of the carton, and form a junction line which extends longitudinally across the top of the carton, between the apexes of the two triangular-shaped portions 84 and 85. As in the case of the carton 10, the carton 65 has an appearance which resembles a package which has been carefully gift wrapped, by hand, and any of the raw edges of the pre-wrap 66 are completely concealed.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A carton having a plurality of side walls, at least one glue flap integrally affixed to one of said side walls along its edge for affixing said side walls together to form said carton, end flaps at the top and bottom of said side walls which are foldable to close the top and bottom of said carton, and a pre-wrap affixed about the exterior surfaces of said side walls and said end flaps for providing a gift wrapped appearance to said carton, said pre-wrap having a free portion which extends laterally outwardly of the end flap on the end of the side wall to which said glue flap is integrally affixed and having a notch formed in the upper end of said glue flap aligned with and forming an extension of the edge of said end flap at said free portion of said continuous web, said free portion being folded over along the entire length of said edge of said end fiap and the extension thereof formed by said notch prior to forming said carton.

2. The carton of claim 1, wherein said free portion is fixedly secured in said folded over position.

3. The carton of claim 1 wherein said glue flap is folded over and fixedly secured to the interior surface of said side wall to which it is integrally afiixed after said free portion has been folded and prior to forming said carton.

4. The carton of claim 1, including a pair of glue flaps, each of which is integrally affixed to a different one of said side walls, along its edge, one of said glue flaps having said notch formed in it and being folded over and fixedly secured to the interior surface of said side wall to which it is integrally afiixed, the other one of said glue flaps thereafter being fixedly secured to said one glue flap to form said carton.

5. The carton of claim 4, further including a relief notch which extends inwardly along a score line between the end flap and said side wall to which said other one of said glue flaps is integrally affixed.

6. The carton of claim 1 having four side walls and a square-shaped cross-section.

7. The carton of claim 1 having four side walls and a rectangular-shaped cross-section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,950,040 8/1960 Bolding 2'2938 3,257,068 6/1966 Wright. 3,260,359 7/ 1966 Willhite. 3,343,750 9/1967 Desmond et al. 3,391,856 7/1968 Siegler 229-87 3,394,867 7/1968 Gregg 229-37 DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 229-87 

